Last week we continued working on topic 2 – Sharing and openess. In the group we had a good discussion about open teaching, but I think maybe we did not really get on an interesting track and ended up in a situation where we only discussed pros and cons. I think this was largely due to the fact that we did not have much experience with the subject. However, the discussion made me think about how little I have implemented open teaching in my courses and what ”openness” really means. I have previously encountered concepts such as Open Network Learning and Personal Learning Network, etc, but I have not directly implemented anything in any course yet and may not reflected enough on what it means. Now that I have understood more in retrospect, I think some things are starting to fall into placeJ Among other things, I read this blog by Kay Oddone which I think gives good views of what openness can give me as a teacher.. and learner.

As I have talked about before, I find it difficult to engage people in distance education. It is easy for a student to become passive and uninvolved by the format and for that reason to learn less or more superficially, even though I as a teacher try really hard sometimesJ In addition, I think there is a norm that distance education is something that can be done completely without interaction with other students or teachers, asynchronously when you have time by checking a recording of the lecture, and that examination assignments are usually arranged such as a quiz. As we discussed under topic 1, the student usually becomes a visitor and feel no commitment. But how do you get them to become a Resident? In Oddone’s blog, he talks about the differences between different types of concepts that exist in today’s pedagogical toolbox: Personal Learning Environment (PLE), Personal Learning Network (PLN), Learning Management System (LMS), Open Learning Network (OLN).

It made me think: In my role as a teacher, I mostly only use a LMS (Canvas) to interact with students (apart from Zoom for lectures, seminars and supervision) and it becomes, as Oddone describes, very teacher-centered. As a teacher, I am a Resident and the students are visitors no matter how hard I try. Of course, without an LMS it will become difficult to manage a course, but something is missing. The students can not only consume but also have to give sometimes and this is where I should introduce some aspect of openness, for example through PLE, PLN or ONL. As Oddone describes, the introduction of a PLE can be a part that is very student-centered where the student can do as he/she pleases without frames, while the LMS meets the university’s and teacher’s requirements and provides structure to the course, as well as some aspect of an ONL as something in between these two to support for example commitment, persistence and independence (which is also my university LTU’s pedagogical idea). I don´t think this is done in a jiffy but I believe that the mindset can make me design elements in a course that improve learning for students .. and teachers.